Breaking Chains
by Firegirl210
Summary: Once, Niana wondered if the chains of solitude holding her heart down would ever be broken. When she meets Victor Mancha, there may just be a chance to find love for the two different--although more similar than they realize--heroes.
1. Chapter 1

_If you've read Firegirl, you'll know who Niana is. If you've read the Runaway Comics, you'll know who Victor is. If not, please do! If you don't want to, you can read this story anyway and review or PM me with any questions.  
I don't own the Legion or Victor, but Niana's mine.  
BTW, guys, I'm a Beta now!!!! I'm a newbie, but I would like some business eventually. Maybe it will make my writing better...  
READ it, REVIEW it, but most of all ENJOY IT!!!_

_Chapter One: Breaking Rules  
Niana Dox has always been curious--what are the limits to human death? When the opportunity arises, will she take a chance to play God with a life she believes she can restore? Will she ignore all the rules to give a lost soul the chance to live? _

* * *

**Breaking Rules**

"Why are you taking _me_ on this trip? Why not take Phoenix? She would most likely enjoy this little excursion more than I will." Brainy sighed, his little sister's intense eyes boring into his side as she looked at him. They were sitting on a shuttle headed for Oceanic City, down south on the Eastern Coast, to see the Hall of Heroes. It was a memorial to all the other superheroes who had helped the world in the 21st century. Brainy had always wanted to go, and he was finally able to take not only himself, but his sister!

"Is it so wrong to want to spend time with my little sister? I just got you back, and I want to have some quality brother/sister bonding time."

She made a face, and he groaned. "Honestly, Niana, why must you be so stubborn?"

She grimaced slightly, looking down. "It's a Dox family trait, remember?"

He smiled and nudged her shoulder with his. "We aren't all stubborn. Dad wasn't, was he?"

Her fist tightened, and he realized his mistake too late. "I mean, what I remember of him. The only memories I have of him are vague flashes." She nodded, keeping the rest of her face unemotional, but he saw the pain in her eyes.

He slipped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him. "I'm sorry, Niana. That was insensitive of me."

She shrugged, but he noticed she didn't pull away from his very human gesture as she usually did. "It's alright. I just wish I could have memories of them. Even vague flashes, faraway glimpses. I have nothing of them; I have only you." He held her closer, closing his eyes as he tried to draw up any memories to share with her.

"Dad was named Kajz Dox. He had very light blonde hair--almost white, I think. Platinum blonde, although the irony of that term is more than I'd like. His eyes were darker than mine, indigo and dark violet. He was always a little sick--although that was probably from being raised in the Jamin region; the air is terrible there. He was quick to praise but just as quick to criticize, and I think he was unhappy with the state of things on Colu. He never said it out loud, but I think he wanted to leave just as badly as I did. I'm only sorry I couldn't have brought him with me." She sighed, twisting the ring on her middle finger.

"Was mother really crazy?"

He started, the question surprising him. "Crazy? Who told you that?"

She stared down at the floor, obviously uncomfortable. "When I was in the Hive Mind's custody, they told me many things. About mother, about father...about you. I tried not to believe them, but some of the things they said disturbed me." He moved to hug her again, but this time she pushed him away.

"Why don't you like taking part in human things?" He asked, and she frowned. "Why won't you just try to be more open? Stop listening only to your brain and let your heart talk for once."

He could almost hear the snap of her self-restraint as she and turned away from him.

"Just leave me alone."

He blinked, getting a slight sense of vertigo from the absence of the explosion he had expected at his overstepping the boundaries. But she just stood up and walked away, sitting down on the opposite end of the shuttle, leaving him alone.

-0-o-0-

The Shuttleport was bustling and noisy, and Brainiac was being shoved around more than she cared to admit. The aliens and humans all around her were so much bigger, and they just trampled over the smaller aliens and children in order to get to where they were going. Brainy walked beside her, keeping an eye on her through his peripheral vision so as not to get in trouble for 'smothering' her, as she called his over protectiveness. When they had finally cleared the stifling crowd, the warm sun of Oceanic City engulfed them with the smell of salt and tropical air.

The Hall of Heroes monument could be seen from anywhere in the city, the golden spire reaching for the heavens and reflecting the brilliant sunlight. Brainy felt excitement flush through him, and he motioned for his sister to follow him. They stopped at the edge of a busy street, and he whistled sharply. A small taxi shuttle screeched to a halt in front of them, and the doors opened with a slight hiss.

"Hall of Heroes, please!" He said to the taxi driver as the two Doxes clambered into the taxi. He nodded, his multi-faceted eyes watching them, the road, and a hundred other things at once.

Brainiac slid down in her seat, the childish gleam of excitement in her older brother's eyes embarrassing her to no end. The shuttle whizzed across town, ducking under other slower moving cars as it zipped away. It skidded to a stop in front of the monument, and Brainy tapped in a few credits to the shuttles computer, looking slightly winded from the wild ride.

The golden arch that stretched over the entrance to the Hall of Heroes amplified the heat, and Brainy wiped his forehead. "One disadvantage to being human; no built in temperature control."

She didn't laugh at his attempted joke, and he sighed. They entered the cool shade of the museum, and suddenly he was gone, entranced in the heroes emblazoned on the walls.

She looked at their faces and got the strange feeling that they had stepped back through a time portal. As her brother wandered around, marveling at the likeness of certain models to their original, she gazed around at the exhibits. X-men, Avengers, Justice League, Ultimate Avengers, Fantastic Four, Green Lantern Corps...dozens--no, hundreds of heroes, all forever remembered by history. Another section caught her eye, and she walked down a side hallway covered in images of superheroes rushing to the rescue.  
She emerged in another room similar to the previous one, but much smaller. She approached one of the exhibits holding the uniforms, recreations and information of a teenage superhero team called the 'Young Avengers.' She looked at the others, noting that all were teenagers or young adults. Teen Titans, New Mutants, Loners, Power Pack, Guardians, Runaways. Dozens more superheroes, all who made their way in the world of heroing as teenagers.

As she walked past one exhibit, something caught her eye, and she turned back. The exhibit that held the Runaways was the one that had grabbed her attention, and she scanned it on several wavelengths. The model of one of the members had a different makeup than any of the others, and she searched for an explanation. The model of the one called Victor Mancha had bits and pieces of a metallic substance that she couldn't identify, and she frowned, pressing herself closer to get a better view.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

She started as a hand came down on her shoulder, and she whipped around. A security guard was standing there, looking somewhat annoyed.

"Is there as problem, officer?" She asked, and he frowned.

"You aren't supposed to get that close to the glass. I already yelled at some green kid a few minutes ago for fogging up the glass at the Supergirl exhibit."

She winced, knowing who the 'green kid' inevitably was. "Well, I was actually hoping you could help me. You see, this statue is different from the others, and I was wondering why that might be."

The officer seemed surprised, and when he looked at the statue she was indicating, he raised an eyebrow. "I can't believe you noticed. That statue, little Missy, contains pieces of the original Victor Mancha's cybertronic body." She turned to look up, and found herself unable to look away from the statue's intense green eyes. It seemed...more alive than any of the others, and she had to remind herself it wasn't real.

"What happened to all these heroes?" She asked, indicating around the room. The officer sighed, his demeanor becoming sad.

"So many young lives were lost during the Great Crisis. Many of these teams were among those fighting to stop the Nuclear War, but countless civilians...and hundreds of heroes were lost. They never even reached twenty-five, most of them; little Molly Hayes there was only thirteen when she died. These young people were among the first to die during World War Three at the beginning of the Great Crisis, when the atomic bombs were dropped on New York and Los Angeles. Of the few who did survive, the majority of them left off the uniform. Although, I don't see why the Victor boy didn't survive; he's made of durable stuff."

Brainiac stiffened at his sudden use of present tense. "What do you mean?"

The security guard looked around as if checking to make sure they were alone, and motioned for her to come closer. "They recovered his body from the bomb site, and it survived all these years."

She blinked in surprise, not sure what to make of this information. "Where is his body now?"

The guard grinned, his eyes flicking to a small panel in the wall that said EMPLOYEES ONLY. "Down those stairs lies the last Runaway."

She decided then and there that she had to see it for herself, this creation of Ultron's. "Can I...Can I see him?"

The guard looked around shiftily. "I'm not allowed to take civilians down, but..." He tapped the Legion symbol on her belt with a wink. "You're no civilian, my dear. Come with me."

Brainiac followed him quickly, wondering how much her brother would freak out when he found out where she had gone.

-0-o-0-

"Ah! Here he is." The guard motioned for Brainiac to follow him, and she obeyed, eyes scanning the room for any potential danger and running diagnostics. He came up to a large metallic canister, and lifted a switch that slowly began to make the metal chamber stand upright from its lying position. It came to a stop, and he took out his ID card. She caught sight of the name on the card, and frowned.

"Kirk? Like the Captain?"

He grinned, the skin around his eyes crinkling. "The great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson of James. T himself."

He slid the key through the slot, and the lid opened with a hiss of steam. Brainiac was startled to realize what the chamber really was.

"A Cryo chamber?"

Kirk nodded, tapping in a key code for the second layer of the lid. It was clear glass, but it was glossed over by ice, and Brainiac couldn't see inside. "We want to preserve his body as long as possible."

The lid slid open, and she started back in shock. The boy inside was no more than seventeen, and she knew he was once very handsome. His skin was creamy tan, and his hair was brown and longish, but not bad looking. But looking past his attractive human features, she saw the horrible wounds from an explosion that peppered his body. A gruesome hole had been torn in his side, revealing partial human insides and bits of mechanical parts, all mangled and frozen. One side of his face was ravaged, and he had only one arm. His other hand was the only part of him that seemed unscathed, and she frowned as she scanned it.

"What happened to his hand?"

Kirk tutted, looking at the boy's right hand. "I can honestly say I have no idea. He is as we found him, if you'll excuse the expression." She reached out, her hand passing through the invisible barrier that kept the cold inside. Tiny ice crystals formed on her fingers, and Kirk looked like he wanted to stop her. Her hand touched his, and she felt a shock, as if she had been zapped by static electricity. She pulled back, removing her hand from the chamber.

"Did you ever try to revive him?"

Kirk frowned, appearing to be confused. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Missy. He's dead; we can't bring him back to life."

Brainiac turned, her eyes glowing eerily.

"Would I be permitted to try?"

Kirk shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to make of her strange request. "Well, you'd have to talk to the museum director..."

She nodded, and turned back to the canister. "If you would fetch him for me, I will chat with him right now." Kirk turned and left, finding her sudden change in demeanor unnerving.

She looked up into the cold blue face of Victor Mancha and smiled.

-0-o-0-

It had been three hours since he'd last seen his sister, and Brainy was beginning to panic. "Niana? Niana!" He turned a corner and ran smack into the security guard who had yelled at him earlier for getting too close to an exhibit.

"Watch it there, son!" The guard muttered, standing up and brushing himself off.  
"I apologize, sir. I'm looking for my sister; have you seen her?" Brainy asked, still on the floor where he had fallen.

"A description would be nice." the guard grumbled, putting his hat back on.

"She's about chest high on me, long blonde hair, large purple eyes, metal green skin--" He stopped as the guard stiffened, eyes widening.

"You're _her_ brother?" Brainy nodded, wondering at the man's sudden change. "Come with me, I was just going back." He said, and the ex-Coluan followed the elderly man down a hallway and into a small stairway. They came into a small room full of old relics and mismatched junk. Brainiac was standing on one side of the room, looking at what seemed to be a Cryochamber.

"Well, the director is a huge fan of you Legionnaires, and he said he could see no harm. I have the permissions here." Kirk said, and she turned away from the now-closed chamber.

"Thank you, Kirk. You've been very helpful." She said, taking the files from him. Her eyes landed on her brother, and she froze, looking guilty.

"Qu-Querl! What are you doing here?" She asked, and he crossed his arms, foot tapping.

"Niana, what have you been getting up to?"

She scowled and snatched the last permission form from Kirk, glaring at her sibling. "Why is it your business? I'm not a child; I can handle myself." She snapped, and he shrugged.

"I'm sure you can, Niana. Are you bringing home a souvenir?" He approached the chamber, and she clenched her fists.

"Stay out of it! This is my project!" He shrugged and pressed a button, and the chamber leaped free of the floor and hovered at his feet.  
"I only want to help."

She sighed and agreed to let him help her, giving Kirk another nod of thanks as they exited through another door.

"So what is it this time? More Kryptonite?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"No, it's nothing like that. I..." She trailed off, unable to find the words.  
"Yes?"

She stopped walking, gazing straight up at the clear blue sky and the tropical sun beating down. "I want to fix him."

He stopped walking as well, bringing the chamber to a halt.

"Fix who?"

She pointed to the chamber, not meeting his eyes. "He never got the chance to grow up just because of ignorant humans' impulsive wars. I think I can give him the second chance he deserves."

Brainy sighed and touched her shoulder, and she walked on, still avoiding her brother's eyes.

"Saturn Woman isn't going to like this."

-0-o-0-

The Chamber came to rest in a standing position, looming over her side of the lab. Brainiac rubbed her hands together, wishing her brother would leave so she could begin.

"So what's in there?"

She rolled her eyes and turned to tell him off when the door slid open. "Good morning, you two!" A cheery voice said, and Brainiac ground her teeth in annoyance as Phoenix smooched her brother while she was standing there. "Brainy, we're going to be late for patrol if you don't stop invading your sister's privacy." Phoenix said, and Brainiac was stunned by her intuitiveness. Phoenix looked over at her and winked, out of his line of sight.

"I suppose you're right. I'll be back later, Niana." The two left the room, and she turned to her project. In one fluid motion, she slid the lid open and broke the invisible barrier, sending a wave of frigid air around the room.

-0-o-0-

* * *

_So yeah. Niana is kind of a 'I do what I want, and I don't care what you think' kind of person. If you don't like her now, please don't let that stop you from reading, because she does get better. A little bit...  
Review please!!!!!!!!_

_~^~Phoenix~^~_


	2. Chapter 2

_This is the second chapter! I promise I'm going to finish this story...eventually. I take forever, to warn you.  
I own NOTHING. Except my OCs. Not even Victor. :'(  
READ it, REVIEW it, but most of all ENJOY IT!!!_

_Chapter Two: Breaking Barriers  
The barriers of what can and can't (not what should and what shouldn't, mind you) are tested to the limits, and barriers between life and death are broken. But what happens when Victor isn't sure he wants the life she believes she has restored? Will the barriers around Niana's conscience finally crack?_

_

* * *

_

**Breaking Barriers**

Brainy walked into the lab, yanking his shoulder-length hair back into a ponytail. He was windblown and breathless from their patrol, and Phoenix was still laughing. They had only broken...thirteen safety protocols today. Speeding, getting too close to buildings, coming far too close to the ground, scaring the Frell out of some innocent civilians.... Then he stopped as he saw what Niana was working on. He choked on the water he had been drinking, and Niana turned around with a look of disdain as he spluttered and tried to regain his composure.

"Oh, you're back."

He approached the examination table, eyes wide. The Cryo chamber was hooked up to dozens of thick cords, and had been remodeled to become a regeneration chamber as well. There was a boy lying the chamber, one that Brainy had seen at the museum--Victor Mancha, one of the Runaways who had been killed in the Great Crisis.

"Niana, what...what in the name of...what are you doing?!" He was unable to keep the threads of shock out of his voice, although his tone was calm. Niana glared at him.

"I want to help him." She said simply.

He stared at the boy's ravaged body, wondering how on earth she was expecting to help him.

"You do realize he's been in cryostasis for over a thousand years now and he's been declared officially dead for that long as well. Why do you want to bring him back so much?"

Niana paused for a moment, staring at the components she was hooking up. "Querl..." She sighed and closed her eyes, a surprisingly human action for her. "I can't explain what I'm feeling right now, but...so many young heroes died in the Great Crisis, and not being able to live and grow up and make a difference...I want to give him that chance." She looked up at her brother, who was staring at her with an odd expression on his face.

"What?!" She snapped, shaking off the moment of tenderness.

Brainy turned back to the chamber with a sigh. "Nothing." She went back to working, and he looked over her machine.

"Can I help?"

She turned, her mouth open as Brainy lifted his hands in a gesture of peace. "I know, I know, it's your project, and anything I do to it would be at your command. I just thought you could use an extra pair of hands." Brainiac looked at him, and for once, she didn't look angry; only slightly surprised. Then she smirked and shoved a small welding tool into his hands.

"Think you can handle it?"

He chuckled as she pointed to the other end of the machine. "There's a few power couplets I need hooked up between the medical tubes and the stasis generator. If you could do that, I can work on the Clastonian Mechanism." Brainy hid a smile as he went to work on the couplets, feeling the start of a possible tie to his little sister.

-0-o-0-

Brainiac sighed as she slapped down the last hatch and stepped back to survey her work. Brainy sat at a work station in the room, looking through the computer programs and adding the last few touches, as per Niana's instructions.

"Well, I believe he's ready." She said, almost to herself, although Brainy heard her. He didn't respond, knowing that she would address him directly when she wanted to. There was a loud knocking in the other room on the lab door. Brainy walked over to get it as she contemplated her machine. Opening it, he saw Timber Wolf and Triad standing there.

"Saturn Woman told us to come get you because you've been in there for hours, there's going to be an address to the entire United Planets that she wants senior legionnaire members to hear, and you'll miss dinner." Brainy blinked as he stared at the tri-colored girl, then became aware of the aching in his stomach.

Timber Wolf gave a slight chuckle. "You and your kid sister can't stay locked in there forever, Brainy."

The green boy raised his hands in defeat. "Alright, we'll be there in a few moments." He ran to the back part of the lab to see Brainiac still standing there, contemplating. "Niana?"

She started out of her reverie and turned to see him. "Did you need to go to dinner Querl?" She asked as her intense eyes met his, her tone clearly underlining the difference between the siblings.

Brainy set a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you come too?"

"I want to use it." The both knew what the female Coluan was talking about. Brainy thought for a moment to solve this situation diplomatically.

"Tell you what--why don't we run a diagnostic while we're gone, then we can run it afterwards?"

She hesitated, wanting to use the chamber as soon as possible but also processing the logic of her brother's reasoning. Logic finally won as she sighed.

"Fine, I'll set the diagnostic test."

She tapped a few keys and listened to the comforting hum of self-checking machines. She crossed her arms as she turned. Brainy made a gesture for ladies first, but as she walked by, he suddenly set a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Niana?"

Ordinarily she would have given him a cold reply and walked on, but his tone made her pause.

"Promise me you won't become obsessed with this. In our family...obsession only leads to pain."

She looked back at him, seeing his worried eyes, and gave him a faint smile--a shocking display of humanity as she tried to keep her brother from worrying. "I won't, Querl. So don't worry about it." She gestured. "Let's get you something to eat before you collapse from lack of nutrition."

-0-o-0-

Brainy and Brainiac walked in a few minutes late to the main room, where everyone was eating dinner while watching the President give her speech. Brainy had already grabbed a plate of food, and Brainiac had opted for a latte. She didn't technically have to eat or drink, as she could just plug herself in and recharge, but she did admit to enjoying the taste of most coffees.

Oh the grief the thirteen year old got for that.

She sat behind her brother, watching the activity all around her. She was still and quiet as all the stream of Legionnaires swept around her, bustling and shouting and chattering. She was a small island in the midst of their rushing river, and she knew she would never be a part of their world; no matter how they tried to be nice to her, include her, and welcome her, she was an outsider here.

She knew that, had always known it.

So why did it suddenly hurt so much?

She stood up quickly, placing her cup back on the table with a hurried, 'I'm going.'

"Niana?"  
She gave her brother a sad look and turned, walking away from the flowing river and back to her little island. She didn't completely understand why she was so determined to bring him back, but she felt...hopeful. Perhaps this...this being--half human and half machine--would share her island. She sighed and shook this foolish thought from her mind and picked up another tool, the diagnostics finished and her project near its halfway completion point.

-0-o-0-

"Niana?" Saturn Woman floated through the door, looking around. A little while earlier she had seen the younger girl leave the main room, and just from judging the thoughts that Brainy had practically yelled, he felt like there was nothing he could do. Saturn Woman also knew about Brainiac's 'project'--Brainy had informed her earlier, feeling that she, as team leader, should know.

Following the young Coluan's thoughts to the back of the lab, she found Niana sitting in front of one computer screen as a diagnostic test ran on another, sipping a mug of coffee and going through some older records. Saturn Woman floated behind her and saw that she was going through legion missions, specifically ones with Brainy. The girl was so obviously sad and felt so cut off, Saturn Woman's heart cried out to her. She landed behind the girl, who turned and looked at her.

"Can I help you, Saturn Woman?" Her voice was clipped and cool.

Saturn Woman gestured to another one of the seats. "Mind if I sit?"

Brainiac shrugged, turning back to the screen. Saturn Woman sat back in the chair, feeling Brainiac's irritation, and at the same time, her nervousness. "What are the chances of this project working?"

"Approximately there is a 1 in 1000 chance that I will be able to revive Victor Mancha."

Saturn Woman nodded. "Pretty good chances then."

The younger girl shrugged. "Possibly." She turned, her two-toned violet eyes meeting Saturn Woman's pink ones.

"What is it that you want?"

Saturn Woman smiled a little. "I wanted to make sure you were ok. You left the presidential address in a hurry." Brainiac looked away, her young face looking far beyond her years. She always did act like a miniature adult, although she was barely even a teenager.

"It wasn't because of the address, was it." Saturn Woman didn't ask, she stated.

Brainiac sighed and leaned back, shoving the computer keyboard back in. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

She looked up, startled. Saturn Woman met her gaze calmly, and Niana realized that she would probably understand better than most. She rubbed the back of her neck, thinking.

"It's complicated."

Saturn Woman waited as the Coluan gathered her thoughts. She also knew that she needed to tread carefully in this situation, because she highly doubted that Brainiac would open up to anyone else--or, if this talk went badly, to her again. The only reason the Coluan was even considering opening up to her was because she was a telepath and could actually empathize with the younger girl and they both knew it. Brainiac ran her fingers through her hair.

"I've been in the Legion for months now, and you have all been very kind, but...I will never truly be a part of it." She leaned back, her eyes closed. "I'm never going to be involved in the jokes, the pranks, the understanding you all have. I'm never going to feel those happy fuzzy feelings that always described when you're around close friends. I'm never really going to understand everything that is happening. You all might _interact_ with me, but you--the Legion as a whole--will never _accept_ me." She sighed, opening her eyes.

Saturn Woman nodded, looking at a different part of the lab. "Did you know that Brainy felt that same way when he first joined?" Brainiac's head whipped up so fast that she might have popped a gear. Saturn Woman was looking away, as though remembering.

"When he first joined the legion, he had a hard time communicating with anyone, he hated being touched, and he wasn't sure about a lot of us. But eventually, he learned. He figured out how to interact, and laugh, and be around people; and really, he learned how to feel." Saturn Woman laughed. "He even learned how to put up with Bouncing Boy's movies." Brainiac smiled, remembering her brother's descriptions of these ancient classics.

"We never wanted him to completely give himself up--he always spent a lot of time on his own or in the lab--but we did want him to know that he would always be accepted and always be a part of this legion." Brainiac leaned back and chuckled.

"He even fell in love."

Saturn Woman watched the adolescent out of the corner of her eye. In reality, Niana did have a much more human side then what she showed most people--it was just a matter of finding it.

"Don't worry, one day soon, you'll feel like you've been here your whole life." Saturn Woman got up to go, and as she left, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Saturn Woman?" She turned as Niana retracted her hand, looking a little awkward. "...Thank you."

The older blonde smiled. "Any time." She floated out as Brainy walked in. Looking after the team leader, he looked back at his sister.

"Did I miss something?"

Brainiac couldn't help it--she laughed, much to her brother's astonishment. Finally she caught her breath and grinned. "It's nothing, Querl. I believe the term is, 'girl stuff'." A beep emanated from the computer, causing both of the legionnaires to rush over and see that the diagnostic test was complete and that the machine was ready to go. Brainiac's breath caught in almost wonder as she walked over to the control panel. Brainy squeezed her shoulder, looking at her.

"Are you ready to give it a whirl?"

She just nodded before beginning to type the control sequence.

-0-o-0-

Black. Emptiness. Nothing.

Just floating. No sense of self. No sense of anything. Just the void, silent and peaceful. Suddenly humming broke the quiet. It was soft at first, but grew louder. Suddenly words appeared. _Reactivation Sequence Initiated._

Reactivation sequence? Why did that sound familiar? Suddenly streams of data appeared, communicating and lighting up the void with intelligence. Sounds outside of the humming started filtering through, soft but growing louder until it felt like someone was running a grater over various sound sensors. Suddenly everything disappeared in white. Connections were made as it sliced through his brain. He felt...He felt something. Hurt? It was hurt he was feeling. It was from the brightness of the white light, but it was not the only discomfort.

Then...confusion. _Where am I? What is...I? I...I have an identity?_ He thought. _That's right...I'm me. I have...a name...What is my name? _

Suddenly all the memory neurons came online, dumping loads of information on the helpless soul. And following it quickly came another sensation--physical pain.

It exploded from his whole body. There wasn't a single part of him that didn't feel like he was on fire. Explosions happened through his brain, ordering himself to be fixed, and it started, but there just wasn't enough material.

_What's happening? What's happening?_ His whole body screamed. He was at a loss of what to do.

Finally, Victor Mancha opened his eyes and screamed.

-0-o-0-

Brainiac furiously typed commands in the computer as Victor came back online. Brainy clapped his hands over his ears through the screaming. Finally it stopped and the cyborg collapsed back in the tube, unconscious. Brainy cautiously removed his hands from his ears and Brainiac turned her auditory sensors back to a normal level. Brainy gave a quiet swallow as the chamber continued to repair Victor Mancha.

"I believe his pain sensors were reactivated a little too soon." Brainy stated lightly.  
Niana glared at him. "Querl, you may be human, but you do not have to make obtuse observations." Brainy rolled his eyes as the chamber continued to hum. She tapped a few key sequences in.

"It appears as though he should be at enough of a level to leave the chamber and be repaired manually within 6 hours."

Brainy nodded. "I assume you already have his original design plans downloaded. The classified government ones." She pulled up a holographic program, ignoring his sarcasm

"The very same designs created by Ultron." Brainy winced, a little worried about what that particular robot's programming was capable of, but decided to say nothing. If Ultron hadn't activated and repaired Victor all this time, he was probably free of Ultron's programming. Besides, even though the villain had never been confirmed dead, surely Ultron wasn't still around.

Suddenly he realized that his sister was waving her hand in front of his face. "I believe you need rest Querl. The human body can only function so long with certain amounts of rest, and you had the graveyard watch yesterday." A soft beeping suddenly came from her arm console.

Brainy lifted it and tapped the side, eyebrow raised. "It looks as though your battery is starting to get low as well. We'll both take a few hours rest, then get back here and finish fixing our guest."

-0-o-0-

"One more turn should do it." Brainiac muttered, hands inside of Victor's chest. He had come online a few days before, but nothing had happened other than a soft whirring of mechanical parts inside of him, not including his initial wake-up. She was working on the large group of nanites that acted as his heart, and she was reconfiguring the Life-support system to compensate the ability to regenerate. Suddenly something slipped as her hand brushed it, and there was a soft click followed by a whir. Then she was suddenly shoved back as the cyborg whose chest cavity her hands were in jerked up into a sitting position. Bright green eyes darted in confusion, and his chest was heaving as he struggled for air.

"Wh-where am I?" He gasped out, his body confused as to why it wasn't working properly.

"You are in the Legion Tower, City of New Metropolis, planet Earth. This is the lab, where I work." Brainiac said, and he turned towards her, brow furrowing. His breath was coming easier now, and she watched in fascination as the nanites came to life and set about repairing his vital systems. "Incredible. For 21st century technology, your nanites are incredibly advanced." She said, sticking her head closer to better observe. Her neck simply extended, and he looked slightly alarmed by this.

"21st...You m-make it s-s-sound like we a-aren't in the tw-twenty-first cen-century." He said breathlessly, his speech nanites still repairing the part of his brain that enabled speech and his vocal cords, and she looked at him sternly. "You should lie back down now, Victor." She said, and he met her eyes for the first time.

"Who are you?"

She put a hand on his shoulder to persuade him back down, but when her hand came in contact an enormous electrical charge zipped between them.

"Ow!" He yelped, and she jerked back in alarm. "Jeez, are you trying to short-circuit me?" He asked, rubbing his arm hard.

"I apologize...I did not think that would happen again." She said, rubbing her hand where it had gone slightly numb.  
"Who are you and where are we?" He asked again, his functioning green eye wandering around the room. "Why can't I see out of my left eye?"

"Most likely the nanites have not been able to repair your unnecessary systems yet." A voice said, and Brainiac whirled around. "Since the left side of your face is not vital to your survival, the nanites will repair it later." Brainy said, walking into the room. Brainiac glowered at him.

"Querl! You _said_ you were on patrol." She muttered, snatching the screwdriver out of his hands.

"It was a quiet night. _You_ said you were going to get some sleep." She turned her back on him, motioning for Victor to lie down. "I couldn't sleep. Besides, there was more work to be done. And look! He's regained consciousness!"

Brainy moved closer, inspecting the Cyborg who was still struggling for breath.

"Boost the regeneration aide on his respiratory system." He said, and Brainiac smirked.

"Already done. He's my project, remember? I know how to handle myself." He nodded and stepped back, fading into the shadows to control the regeneration sequence.

"Who _are_ you?" Victor asked again, noticing the restraints on his arms and legs for the first time. She turned to him, her eyes glowing eerily in the darkened room. "My name is Niana Dox. You may call me Brainiac." He visibly started, surprised.

"Brainiac? Like the enemy of Superman, robotic, Ultron's ally, Coluan psycho Brainiac?"

She sighed, and Brainy dropped his head into his hands. "Such a lovely legacy we are left with." He muttered, and she waved him off. "We are the descendants of Brainiac 1.0; Brainiacs Five and Five point One." Victor leaned back against the table, closing his eye.

"Alrighty then. But...Coluans live for centuries, don't they?" He asked, frowning.

"One to two and a half, roughly." Brainy chimed in, earning another shushing motion from his sister.

"Then if you two are the fifth generation...that's like, ten centuries. A millennium. A thousand years! That can't be right."

Brainiac smiled slightly, and in Brainy's opinion, somewhat eerily. "Welcome to the Thirty-First Century, Victor Mancha."

The cyborg cleared his throat, going very pale very fast. Fascinating, seeing as how he didn't have a normal circulatory system. "A thousand years...I've been deactivated for a thousand years..." He carefully sat up, looking down to see his open chest cavity. He looked faintly queasy at the tiny nanobots that swarmed around inside, and he looked away rather quickly.

"How?" He managed to ask, his voice quavering. Brainiac walked to the other side of the room, passing in front of a reflective machine that was as clear as a mirror. Victor's eye followed, and he caught sight of his reflection. He started in shock, eye widening as he saw the ravaged cyborg staring back at him. The left side of his face was completely shredded, and his whole body was riddled with holes. Torn synthetic tissue hung from odd places, and his chest had been blown open, revealing his half-formed nanite organs within.

"You may find your appearance...disturbing for the time being. We are still in the process of repairing you." She said, and he sat back hard against the upraised table back.

"What happened to me?" He asked, gazing at his hands; one unharmed, normal human flesh and the other tattered robotic parts.

"You were directly in the middle of one of the most horrific bombings in human history." Brainiac said bluntly, and Brainy winced at her insensitivity.

"Bombing? I don't know--" Suddenly he jerked, his eye glowing blue, and he collapsed back on the table. He twitched for a moment before falling still, and both Brainiacs cautiously approached him. Slowly his eye faded back to its normal green, and he sat back up.

"Ouch. That would be my Memory Drive kicking back in." He muttered, rubbing his pounding skull. Suddenly, in one brilliant and painful flash, he remembered it all. The falling bomb, the screaming, flashes through the air, his friends...his breathing became unsteady as the shock set in.

"Oh god. My friends..." He looked back up at the green skinned siblings, his ravaged face desperate for answers. "My friends...did they...?" Brainy looked away for a moment, Brainiac simply continuing to fix the internal circuits. Victor felt like he was drowning.

"No...They couldn't have...They can't be..." He brought his hands up to his face, suddenly feeling ill. "Molly, Nico, Chase, Karolina, Xavin, Klara...they're gone?" He felt a light hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he met two sets of eyes, one deep green, the other metallic purple. Brainy was the one with a comforting hand on his shoulder, and a soft smile to ease his pain. Victory swallowed hard as he tried to continue, his mind reeling.

"How did I survive?"

Brainiac pulled up a schematic of Victor's body. "Technically, you didn't. From all appearances, the metals that make up your skeletal system was strong enough to withstand a strong blast of radiation, and your abilities over metal..."

"Stop."

Brainiac looked at the cyborg in surprise, his voice barely loud enough to be heard. And he sounded angry.

"I know why my body survived. You're missing the point." He looked up, the fury in his eyes making him look like a haunted ghost. "Why didn't you just leave me dead? Why did you bring me back, here, in a future where I don't know anyone and everything I know is gone?" His voice was steadily rising.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME DEAD?!"

He yelled, breathing heavily as pain and sorrow and anger tore through him, Sparks started flying out of his mouth, causing Victor to wince through the anger because his protective nanites weren't quite back online. Niana looked surprised at his reaction, but Brainy calmly set a hand back on his shoulder, pushing him gently but firmly back against the table.

"Victor, even if they hadn't been killed in the Great Crisis, it has been a thousand years ever since they were alive. There's nothing we can do. And as for why you were brought back..." He looked Brainiac directly in the eye. "You'll have to talk to my sister." She looked away, fists clenching.

"I apologize. I did not know you would react this way." She said softly, staring at the ground. Victor lay back and closed his eyes, his breathing going back to a normal rate.

"I'm sorry too." He breathed, and then his breathing slowed as his body went to sleep, forcibly shutting himself down as the nanites worked to repair him. Brainiac gritted her teeth and slammed her fist into the wall so hard it dented, making her brother start back in surprise.

"Niana? Are you alright?" He asked softly, touching her shoulder. She turned and looked up at him, face tight with pain.

"What have I done, Querl? What have I done?" She asked shakily, and he reached out to her. But before he could pull her into his embrace, she shoved him away and disappeared out the door, the lights fading off as she ran.

-0-o-0-

* * *

_Vic is pissed...don't worry, her explanation made me cry when I wrote it, and he forgives her then. I think that's chapter...4? 3? I'm not actually sure...  
Review pleez! That's one of the reasons I write, for reviews!!_

_~^~Phoenix~^~_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chappie Three! Hope you like it. I do! If you've noticed (And I'm sure you have) the chapters are all titled Breaking ______ because of the story title, Breaking Chains. If you don't get it, you will eventually. I promise._

_READ it, REVIEW it, but most of all ENJOY IT!!!!_

_Chapter Three: Breaking Ice  
The mutual feeling of discomfort and doubt between Niana and Victor begins to ease, and the Legion welcomes him with open arms. The Ice that he feels for the entire time period in general--and especially for Niana--begins to melt._

* * *

**Breaking Ice**

Brainiac entered the Lab, her brow furrowed; how was he today? She turned the corner and stopped, frozen in surprise. A tan boy was standing across the room, looking at his reflection in the side of the highly reflective machines there. His eyes met hers, and he turned around.

"Good morning, Brainiac 5.1." He said coolly, but politely, and she found herself unable to hold someone's gaze for the first time in her life.

"Good morning Victor." She replied, staring at his feet. She felt so horrible to be speaking to him now. What right did she have? She walked over to one of the work stations, not looking at the cyborg she had brought back. For a moment she felt his stare boring into her head, then soft footsteps revealed him walking away, around the corner to another part of the lab. She had no idea what to do--she had not factored it into her calculations that he would be angered by her bringing him back. She had thought...for the first time in her life, she didn't know what she thought. She carelessly slid several half-finished machines off to the side, only to hear a high-pitched yelp come out of one of the machines. A small size version of Shrinking Violet flew out from behind a half-completed stasis cannon, and she was rubbing her head.

"Oh. I apologize Violet. I did not know you were adjusting that machine."

Violet patted her head for bumps. "I'm fine, I just..." She looked over at Brainiac in surprise. "Wait, did you just...say sorry?"

"I apologized. I believe that is the correct course of action to take when you wish to correct an error." Violet just stared for a minute, then decided not to push Brainiac further--it was obvious something was bothering the younger girl.

"It's alright." Violet's eyes flickered over to where Victor had walked off, then back to Brainiac. "Um..."

"I don't want to talk about it." She said flatly, anticipating the oncoming question.

Violet hesitated, then nodded. "Ok. Let me know if you ever do." Brainiac 5.1 looked up, nodded, and went back to her project, losing herself in circuits and programming.

-0-o-0-

Victor wandered around the surprisingly extensive lab, carefully taking in all the machines and comparing them in his brain to possible 21st century technologies. Many were items he had no name or function for--not surprising really, everything considered...he steered his brain from that track. Ever since he had reactivated this morning, fully repaired, he had refused to think back to his last memories. Not yet. Not until he was ready. And he knew he wasn't yet. Taking a deep breath and moving past that, he purposefully strode over to a desk and picked up one of the smaller doohickeys, turning it end over end as he attempted to identify it.

"It's a data pad." Victor looked up to a surprising site--a tall, blonde, beautiful woman, possibly a couple years older than him, walking up to the desk.

"It stores information and allows viewers to research and store various schematics. In this case, it's a novel library." She smiled. "I'll have to tell Phoenix not to leave her things laying around." Victor blinked as he made his mouth work. It was obvious from her uniform she was some sort of superhero, and his thirst for knowledge coupled with his inherent fanboyishness took over. It didn't help that she was really, really pretty.

"Who...who are you?"

The woman smiled kindly. "I'm Saturn Woman. Your name is Victor Mancha, right?"

The cyborg nodded. "That's me. Um..." He wasn't quite sure how to ask what her powers were, but Saturn Woman gave him an enigmatic smile_. I'm a telepath_. Her voice softly rang in his head.

His eyes went wide. "Um...ok. That's convincing."

Saturn Woman laughed as they started walking. "Don't worry. I won't read your mind unless you want me to."

"I really appreciate that." Victor said, relieved. Then he realized that they had left the lab and were walking down a hallway. "So...where am I exactly?"

"Legion of Superheroes Headquarters, New Metropolis, Earth." Victor turned upon hearing a new voice and saw a large man in a blue and black uniform walking down the hall rubbing oil off his hands. He stuck out his clean hand in greeting.

"Nice to meet'cha. I'm Bouncing Man." Victor kept a very straight face as he shook hands.

"I'm Victor."

Bouncing Man grinned. "It was nice to meet you. Now if you'll excuse me, I better go get Starman for patrol." He looked over at Saturn Woman, who only smiled a little at his pouty face.

"You know why I didn't put you on patrol with Luornu, Bouncy--you two would have spent the whole time making out." He went bright red in the face. "We would not!"

"Hmm...you're probably right. Maybe half the time." Victor watched in amusement as Saturn Woman smiled and Bouncing Man puffed up in an attempt to salvage his pride.

"Hmph. Well, either way, I have patrol to take care of." With that he suddenly shifted into a ball and bounced over the other two, as crazed as a pinball.

Victor blinked. "I see why he's called Bouncy. So do you choose patrols?" He asked.

"Um...among other things." She tapped the insignia on her belt, showing Victor the Legion's design--A gold L on a black background, but unlike other badges, her star was white. "Last year I was elected for term as Legion leader." Victor blinked. "You guys elect leaders?"

"The legion is pretty big, so it's a way to be fair." They came to a door and it slid open.

"Well, this is the main room."

Victor's jaw literally dropped when he saw it. It was_ huge_. An enormous computer mainframe was set up in the middle, couches and chairs were located all over the place with tables, and wall-to-wall windows brightened up the whole place. It wasn't just the room that shocked Victor though--it was the view of the city outside the windows that got him. He walked over to the windows in a daze, his brain refusing to accept what his eyes were seeing. He opened his mouth, tried to say something, closed it again, then finally said, "And I thought New York was big." He turned back to look at Saturn Woman, who was smiling again. Suddenly two loud voices filtered through the air.

"I'm telling you, you're going to break it."

Victor looked back to see a girl in a white and black uniform and a boy with orange skin, antennae, and a green uniform walk through another door. The boy was tossing something back and forth between his hands, and the girl was apparently trying to keep him from doing that. They both looked up and saw that they had a visitor. Saturn Woman cleared her throat in the silence.

"Apparition, Chameleon, this is Victor Mancha. Victor, this is Cham and Apparition." Both of the Legionnaires looked surprised, but instead of asking him a bunch of questions, they both seemed to have the self control (or Saturn Woman mentioned something to them telepathically) and they smiled and greeted him. Victor nodded.

"So let me guess--your powers have to do with ghosts, and you're a shape shifter."

Cham winked at his friend. "Pretty much on the dot."

Victor him up and down. "Are you a Skrull?"

Cham gave him a look of shock. "A Skrull?! Excuse me, I am a Durlan. We are nothing like our _very_ distant cousins the Skrulls." He had gone back to tossing a cube in his hand. Apparition and Saturn Woman both looked on warily, eyes following it.

"Be careful with that."

Cham grinned. "Relax, I've got this thing steady as a balance."

"Uh-huh. Like that data pad that somehow ended up smashing through a window a few weeks ago..." Suddenly another boy faded into view at Cham's shoulder, making the shape shifter jump and almost drop the cube. Victor blinked at the newest arrival.

"You must be the Victor guy Bouncy was talking about. I'm Invisible Kid." Victor shook the newest arrival's hand. Saturn Woman let out a breath.

"Lyle, don't sneak up on people like that--_especially_ when they are carrying warp-space generators that are currently containing several liters of slime." Victor frowned.

"Wait, you've discovered how to construct viable warpspace generators?" Everyone looked at him, a little surprised, until Lyle nodded.

"Yeah, if you can get the right components, it's actually pretty straightforward. It's a pain to try and incorporate a stasis mpf!!!" He realized the Apparition's hand was over his mouth.

"Lyle, Victor just got here, I don't think he's quite ready for you to talk his ears off about all things scientific."

"Can I see it?" Victor felt twinges of excitement rearing up in him as Cham handed over the cube. The cyborg began examining the minute circuitry, carefully manipulating it here and there. Lyle leaned over to see it as the others talked a little about a few things that needed to be adjusted. "Careful, the last thing we want it to do is--"

Before Lyle could finish his sentence, a lot of sticky green slime flew out of the little cube, effectively coating the main room.

"Make it...well, explode." Lyle finished, covered in goo. The whole room was coated with the stuff. Victor went a little red, feeling it drip from his hair and down his shirt as Cham made a face.

"Um...it was an accident?"

For a moment everyone stared, then cracked up. The situation was just ridiculous. Apparition reached out. "Here, everyone take my hands." Once everyone's hands were joined, she phased them all, making the slime fall through their intangible bodies. Victor examined himself again when he rematerialized.

"That was cool."

Another person entered the room, her silvery boots avoiding every spot of slime as she pointed the cleaning bot at the mess. "The entire room." She said, and the little droid made an irritated humming sound and went to work.

"Dream Woman? How...How long have you known this was coming?" Invisible Kid asked, looking suspicious as the silver haired Naltorian came up to them.

She smiled somewhat mischievously, ruffling his hair. "Since this morning."

Cham and Invisible Kid's jaws dropped. "Why didn't you tell us?!" Cham demanded, his voice disbelieving.

She cocked her head, looking innocently confused. "Tell you? Why would I ruin the fun?" Victor chuckled, and her brilliant silver eyes turned on him. Her smile became dreamy, and she looked at him with eyes that told him of knowledge she had that he didn't.

"Oh, hello Victorious."

He jerked back, and would have fallen if she hadn't already had a hold of his arm. "Wha-what did you just call me?" He asked, his heart racing.

She blinked and frowned slightly, her eyes refocusing. "Oh, I'm sorry. That hasn't happened yet. I get so confused sometimes..." She drifted out of the room, leaving Victor staring in shock.

"What was that?" He managed, and Cham rolled his enormous green eyes. "She's only the spaciest precog in the galaxy, I don't know how Starman can date her. She's always referring to things that haven't happened yet and then saying, 'oops, my bad! Hope I didn't give away your surprise Sweet Sixteen party, Cham!'" Chameleon muttered, and Apparition rolled her eyes, jabbing him in the ribs.

"You're still sore about that?" She asked, and he pouted. Victor gazed after the Naltorian with a frown; Victorious? Was he going to become that evil creature even in this future world where he was lost, alone and on his own? Waves of emotion started pouring over him, memories, making him feel like everything was going to spin out of his control. Suddenly a wash of calm, rational, peaceful.

_You are not alone. We will be there for you, if you will let us._

He blinked and looked up into a pair of stunning pink eyes. Saturn Woman rested her hand on his shoulder, and he smiled at her, feeling himself regain his figurative footing.

"Thanks, Saturn Woman. I guess you're right." They continued on, exploring the tower and meeting its inhabitants.

_'You know,'_ Victor thought, _'I might be able to get used to it here.'_

-0-o-0-

A few hours later after tour of Legion HQ and a little of the surrounding area, Victor was sitting in the kitchen, eating a concoction that he had no name for but liked anyway. Bouncing Man was sitting across the table from him, explaining a bunch of old movies and a bunch of new ones, as well as Saturn Woman and a guy named Live Wire, who was talking quietly with the leader of the legion. Victor thought he saw them holding hands at one point, but didn't stare for fear of being rude. Bouncing Boy made a large gesture with his arms, pulling attention back to the conversation.

"And then these slime mummies rose up out of the toxic goo, and--"

"I think you're boring the new guy Bouncy." A raspy voice came from behind him. Victor turned and jumped a little. A really big guy in an orange uniform was standing there. He basically looked like a werewolf. The older guy grinned wolfishly and met Victor's eyes. "So you're the new guy huh?"

Victor nodded and found his voice again. "Yeah, that's me. Who're you?" Somehow it ended up coming out braver then he felt. This guy was _intimidating_.

"I'm Timber Wolf." He gave a toothy grin.

Live Wire chuckled down the table. "Brin, you're freaking him out."

Victor turned, irritated. "Is not. It's not as alarming as having a Deinonychus come up and start chewing on you slippers while you're sleeping in them." Everyone blinked and looked a little confused before Bouncing Man cleared his throat. "First of all, you sleep in your slippers? Second, a what?"

"It's a type of dinosaur. Kind of like a Velociraptor." Everyone looked over to where the new voice had come from. A girl was sitting on the open window ledge, a data pad in her lap. She had long brown hair with matching large, calm eyes as she looked up. "I'm Tesla. Nice to meet'cha." Bouncing Man suddenly chuckled for unknown reasons.

Victor blinked. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, we have two members from kind of around your time, Tesla and Phoenix." Victor vaguely remembered Saturn Woman mentioning the data pad in the lab being Phoenix's as he shook Tesla's hand. Tesla made a face at Bouncing Man. "Try again Bouncy. We're before this guy's time." she turned back to Victory. "We never really did a lot of professional heroing in our time."

Victor chuckled. "Well, it's nice that there are people around here who I'll at least be able to talk to without them getting confused." Tesla nodded, but just then all the Legionnaires' rings beeped.

Saturn Woman stood. "Main room. Now." Everyone flew out of there, Victor running to catch up behind them. When he came there, he saw a few legionnaires he had run into and a small shock--the green guy from the lab (Brainy? Was that his name?) sitting in front of the large computer terminal and pulling up some sort of crime scene footage.

"It appears as though we have a situation with the Terrorformers. They're ripping up central New Metropolis, and it looks like they're headed for the United Planets building."

Live Wire turned to Apparition. "Isn't your mom there today?"

The pale woman's face drained of what little color it had. "We have to get there now!"

"Agreed. All on-world legionnaires report to downtown New Metropolis immediately." Saturn Woman's voice rang over the monitor, alerting the other legionnaires taking care of business on other parts of the planet. The legionnaires started flying out of the building when Victor yelled to Saturn Woman.

"Let me help!" She turned back and looked at him, judging his serious eyes and noting his refusal to the word no. She quickly nodded.

"Alright, but be careful. We don't want this situation to turn out badly."

-0-o-0-

Saturn Woman hadn't been kidding about not wanting the situation to turn badly--the Terrorformers apparently had a lot of firepower judging from the trail of shredded city they were leaving behind them. Victor had seen a lot of bad damage from supervillains, but this was just out and out destructive. He looked over at one of the legionnaires as they flew--he was pretty sure her name was Triad.

"So, what's the deal behind these Terrorformer guys?"

Triad shook her head. "They're pretty bad. They all have some sort of elemental power, and they like to basically blow things up."

Victor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that sounds like a villainous thing. What're they after?"

"Theys probably want to capture the President of the United Planets." Victor nodded, thinking a little, getting distracted by the city. It looked so big and peaceful...what happened here that needed hero work?

"MOVE!" Suddenly he realized that one of the Triads had slammed him out of the way of a huge chunk of rock. Well, he thought, that answers that question.

"Evasive everyone!" Live Wire yelled as the legionnaires scattered. Victor backed up a little, taking in the group of variously kinetic villains. Just from observing the various members, he saw that each of them had some ability over some elemental force, a theory compounded when the one woman on the team spouted fire from her hands and almost barbecued Timber Wolf. Victor took a deep breath and felt electricity crackling around his hands, focusing on the water controller. Gritting his teeth, he let loose, the electrical magnetic power slamming into the water guy and throwing him back into the road way, smoking a little. The earth controller--a big, brawny guy with an ugly mug--looked over at him.

"You little punk! You're gonna pay for that one!" Slamming his fists into the ground, cracks started appearing under Victor's feet. He started running out of the way, but was slammed by another wave of rock, hurling him back into the side of another building. He carefully pulled himself out of the wreckage, wincing.

"Ow." He muttered. Earth-guy rushed at him, metal surrounding his hands--a fact the cyborg noticed. He cracked a grin.

"That one's your loss." Reaching out again, he focused on the metallic gloves, twisting them and slamming them back into earth-guy's own stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Victor grinned before feeling sudden pain in the back of his head. Darkness was crawling across his vision, and he had a remote sense of hitting the ground, not hearing anything as he deactivated.

"Well? Is he gonna be ok?"

"Shh! You'll wake him up talking that loud!"

"Both of you, just wait until the scans are finished before you get into an altercation!"

Victor registered the voices for a moment before slowly opening his eyes. He was in a room, staring up at the ceiling. He slowly sat up and turned his head, wincing as the movement tweaked a sore muscle in his neck.  
"What happened?" He muttered, still feeling disoriented. Suddenly a woman in orange was next to him--one of the Triads he assumed.

"Oh, you're awake now! That's good."

"Ugh. What happened?" Victor moaned, one hand holding onto the side of his head. The other two Triads came over. "You kind of got clocked by a leftover rock of Terran's." Victor gave Purple Triad a questioning look.

"The earth guy." White Triad said, smiling as Victor flushed.

"Oh."

The three women became one as a short woman with purple-streaked hair walked over. "You have a minor concussion, but you've recovered really fast. I'm Shrinking Violet by the way."

Victor gave her a small smile. "Thanks. So do I have a clean bill of health?"

"I'd say so." Victor turned to see Brainiac 5 walking over, a data pad in hand.

"You have an abnormally high recovery rate. But in this case it seems very useful." He said, patting Violet's arm and telling her he would clean up for the night. The two women left, laughing and giggling about some impending wedding that had all the girls buzzing.

Victor cleared his throat. "So...you're her brother, huh?" They both knew whom he was referring to.

Brainy nodded. "Yes. Niana is my younger sister...even if it doesn't seem like it." Victor clicked his tongue, looking the green man up and down as if trying to let that fact sink in.

"You don't seem like her. You actually try to talk to people instead of messing with things you shouldn't be touching." Brainy sighed as he looked over at the cyborg, his green eyes sad.

"From what I read about you, you were--pardon me, _are_--apparently very religious. Am I correct?" Victor gave him a look asking why he was changing the subject, but nodded.

"If you wish, I can show you a directory of New Metropolis to find a nearby church, if that is what you would like."

Victor's eyebrows shot up, surprised. "Um..." He thought about it for a moment, then looked up at Brainy.

"Actually, I think that'd be really good. Thank you."

Brainy nodded with a slight smile. "You're welcome. Although it was Phoenix's idea, actually."

Victor stood and they walked out of the sick bay, an odd silence between the two of them. "Hey, if Brainiac 5.1 is your sister...why are you organic if she's robotic?" Brainy stopped for a moment, as though thinking.

"I used to be fully Coluan as she is, but..." He shook his head. "I'm not sure how to explain how I became human. I still don't fully understand the concept myself."

Victor frowned; that wasn't much of an explanation. Instead of pushing Brainy, he decided to change the subject. "How long have you been with the legion?"

"I have been a member for 7 years now. I joined when I was 11." The human-Coluan added as clarification. Victor nodded, thinking a little.  
"I don't know much about Coluans, but if they're anything like the ones in our time, I can't imagine them letting you go without much of a fight."  
Brainy was surprised by his intuitiveness, and he ran a hand over his face. "I think it was time you got your own room." He said, changing the subject quickly and decisively.

Victor noticed, but kept his mouth shut as he nodded. "I'm guessing there are a lot of rooms in the tower."

Brainy nodded with a slight smile. "That's correct. We have to for all the legionnaires, even though it is very rare for all of us to be in one place at a single point in time."

Victor nodded, the logic making sense. "How many legionnaires are there?"

"Around 25 or 30. Not including the Substitutes and various other super powered members with whom we are allied." He might have continued, but out of nowhere a blonde and red blur appeared and slammed right into Brainy, knocking the green boy back quite a bit and making him stumble. He gasped, all the air knocked out of him momentarily before smiling and hugging the girl back with a breathless laugh.

"Is it really necessary for you to do that every time you come back from patrol?"

"Yeah. It keeps you on your toes." The girl stepped back and did something that startled him slightly--she gave Brainy a big kiss on the lips before turning to look at him.

"Oh, you must be Victor! I'm Phoenix, it's great to meet you!" The exuberant blonde started shaking his hand, making the younger Hispanic boy feel a little flustered.

"Um...it's nice to meet you Phoenix." Brainy hid a smile as Phoenix grinned. Suddenly her ring beeped and she sighed.

"Sorry, I have to get to monitor duty. Why did I get the graveyard shift again?"

"It might have something to do with you and Bouncing Man sticking squidbeast into the experimental dehydrator and making it explode all over the kitchen."

Phoenix stuck her tongue out at Brainy as he gave her a sly smile. "Please, like you don't get in trouble every other week when something blows up in the lab." They both burst out laughing as Victor looked on, a little confused. Phoenix kissed Brainy again before floating off with a wave and a grin. A shout rang out from down the hall a few moments later followed by maniacal laughter and a "You are so dead, Phoenix!" from Live Wire.

Brainy chuckled at the look on Victor's face; he was flustered, windswept and confused. "Don't worry. Almost everyone reacts the same way when they first meet her."

The cyborg composed himself, smiling a little. "Is she always so..."

"Hyperactive? Overwhelming? Excited? Exuberant?" Brainy supplied. Victor blushed and nodded.

"Most of the time. But she's a really good, honest, sweet, loyal person." The twelfth level intellect got a sort of dreamy look in his eye.

Victor chuckled. "She's your girlfriend, right?"

"Yes. She is." Victor chuckled at Brainy's post-kiss delirium. It reminded him a little about when Gert and Chase would have some mushy scene of public affection and Molly would say something that embarrassed them. Icy splinters suddenly pierced his heart, the memories of his friends bittersweet.

"Isn't she from the past?" Victor asked, trying to shake off the memories.

Brainy looked at him. "Yes, she is. I believe she and Tesla preceded your team by a few years. In any case, supervillains weren't exactly common in her time." Brainy chuckled. "At least, supervillains that didn't warrant Superman's attention. Here he's not quite as busy."

Victor looked over at Brainy sharply, his eyebrows drawn together. "Wait, what does Superman have to do with this?"

Brainy suddenly stiffened, then relaxed. "It has to do with a technology that has been recently invented." Victor watched the human-Coluan through narrowed eyes. "I may not have known you for that long, but I can tell when people are lying."  
Brainy sighed. "I am sorry Victor Mancha, but I am not at liberty to explain many things."

Victor rolled his eyes. "Let me guess--the butterfly effect?"

Brainy blinked, as if he was surprised. "Yes, that is actually correct." They came to a long hallway with doors lining the sides. Brainy tapped on a door, opening it and revealing a plain room. "Do these quarters suffice?"

Victor looked in, a wave of homesickness washing through him, followed by an even larger wave of pain. He swallowed them both, keeping his face blank.

"Yeah. They're fine."

* * *

_For all you LL/SW fans out there, Imra may or may not be expecting sometime in the very near future...although none of the kids show up in this story except MAYBE the Ranzzes. MAYBE. No promises, I'm not sure._

_Review pleez!!!!!_

~^~Phoenix~^~


End file.
